


We Rise Up Ourselves

by fetchmeagiraffe



Series: the sound of miles passed beneath your feet [3]
Category: A Softer World, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-03
Updated: 2012-03-03
Packaged: 2017-11-01 01:27:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fetchmeagiraffe/pseuds/fetchmeagiraffe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life's certainly never boring, which is just how they like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Rise Up Ourselves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brightthunder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightthunder/gifts).



-

_2012_

They go to the Natural History Museum on a tip that some of the terracotta ornaments have started leaving their panels. Mickey’s in Zurich on an international conference about alien tech, so it’s just the ladies. There’s some running, and a peacock that is unexpectedly terrifying, and an alien messing about with things it shouldn’t. After the dust settles and most of the animals are back on their panels – neither one of them felt like arguing with the peacock, and felt it best to let him stay in his newfound perch – the alien is sent back to his mum and dad on Chula and Noble Causes collectively pats themselves on the back for a job well done.

As they’re heading back to the car, Martha sees the sign for the temporary exhibition for Pompeii. 

“I know all these people would be dead now anyway, but there’s still something awful sad,” she says as they read the accounts of the volcano eruption. “All those people who had no idea what was coming. And it wasn’t aliens or magic or anything to fight, just the earth.”

“But some people did know,” Donna says. “They saw the fire growing, heard the ground roaring, and just thought it was their gods talking to them.”

“Where d’you read that?” Martha moves to stand beside her. They look at the cast of two human bodies curled together. 

“They clung together as they breathed in ash, and then the air caught fire. They tried to cover their faces with their clothes but the cinders lit the clothing,” Donna says. She’s staring straight ahead, and Martha thinks she isn’t seeing the plaster cast at all. “They were priestesses. They painted eyes on their hands and saw the end coming, but didn’t believe it until too late.”

She looks at Martha with tears spilling down her cheeks. “How am I seeing this? What’s wrong with me?”

Martha wraps her arms around Donna’s shoulders and thinks of the angry messages she’s sent the Doctor already. She thinks he’s due another one after today, it’s been nearly a month. “I have a theory.”

“You knew this was going on? How long were you going to sit on that?” Donna says as she scrubs her eyes. 

“Until I had some proof, but I think you just covered that,” Martha looks around for some napkins or towels, but there’s nothing to be found. Nothing in her pockets either – she unzips her coat and takes off her over shirt. “Here, this is mostly clean. Use it for a hankie.”

“That is utterly disgusting.” Donna takes it anyway and blows her nose. “Go on, then.”

“I think you’re psychic. Just a little bit, not enough to read minds or any of that rubbish,” Martha says. “But a disaster like Pompeii, that would cause enough emotional energy that even a little bit of a psychic could get visions.”

“You sound like one of those New Age drips.”

“We just fought a peacock golem, what’s so unbelievable about psychics?” Martha’s quiet for a moment, rubbing at Donna’s shoulder absently. “All humans have a certain amount of unconscious psychic ability, most of us just can’t tap into it. But something must have opened yours up just a bit. Really it’s a gift, in a job like ours.”

They’re both silent after that. Martha’s holding her breath a bit, hoping she hasn’t set off a trigger to melting Donna’s mind. Donna stares at the shirt in her hands, then blows her nose with a great honk that echoes through the room. They both giggle a bit.

“I hate crying in public, turns my nose all red. Everyone can just look at me and know my business.” She wipes her eyes one final time. “Low level psychic millionaire temp it is then. What a life.”

The rest of the exhibit is mostly ruined for them both after that, but they wander through to the end. Donna laughs as she rummages through her pockets for the car keys. 

“We’re a sight, I’m sure. Me all splotchy and snotty, you there in your underthings...”

“Excuse me, this is a perfectly appropriate shirt to wear in public!” Martha says.

“If you’re on a beach holiday.” Donna holds the door open for her.

Martha zips her jacket up, self-conscious despite herself. “I literally gave you the shirt of my back and this is the thanks I get?”

“Next time give me a hankie and we’ll all be the better for it.” Donna slows down as the car comes in view. There’s a blonde girl leaning against the boot. Martha surruptiously pulls out her mobile and sends a quick text to Mickey. Donna, as per usual, dives in headfirst.

“Who are you then?” Donna demands. “If you’re selling anything, you might make your sales pitch more effective if you don’t rub your bum all over my property.”

“I’m not selling anything, I was looking specifically for you,” the girl smiles, and it is wide and infectious and strikingly familiar. “My name is Jenny, and I need your help.”

-

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to L. for the beta. Screencaps from [disparue.org](http://disparue.org/caps/television/doctorwho/).  
> The exhibit they visit is based on "A Day in Pompeii," which I would encourage everyone to go see if it comes anywhere near you.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it, brightthunder! I always felt like these ladies got the the shaft, and I had a great deal of fun writing about them for you.


End file.
